Flow indicator



Aug. 2, 1932.

Originail Fil'ed Sept. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1v. A 9 9? 3 2 2 M. 6 2U m 2 3 3 2 w n 6 8 H w 5 k J M 1 J. n a T M Q TORNEY L. H. HILL Aug. 2,1932.

FLOW INDICATOR Original Filed Sept. s, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTdRNEY astructures comprising passages Patented Aug. 2 1932 PATENT OFFICE TRIO &MANUFAG'IURING ooMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FLOW inn on'roit Original applicationfiled September 8, 1923, Serial No.-661,550. Divided and thisapplication filed June 24, 1927. .Serial No. 201,065. I

My invention relates to a device for indicating a condition, as thevelocity or amount of fluid traversing a conduit system'and comprehendsa combined structure comprising a de vice for producing a pressuredifferent al, as a Venturi tube, and an indicating devlce, as amanometer, a One object of my invention resides in the provision of acombined Venturi tube and 10 manometer of such structural form as to bereadily mounted as a unit in or on a pipe line.

It is characteristic of my invention that in a structure, as aforesaid,the Venturi tube serves as the-support for the manometer, both suitablymaintained in alignment, as by bolts pass ing through flanges disposed,respectively, on the Venturi tube and manometer.

My invention resides in .the'combined or composite structure of thecharacter hereinafter described and claimed. 7 p

This application is a divisi n of my prior application Ser. No.-661,550, filed Sept. 8,

For an illustration ofone of the :Eormsmy apparatus may take, referenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings,'in Which I .Figure 1 is aside elevational view ofa com- "bined Venturi tube and manometerembodying my invention.

' Fig.2 is a sectional view thereofr:

Fig. 3 is av face view of a'manometer embodying my invention; 7

Fig. is'a tragmentaryse'ctional view of -my improved manometer takenalong the line IVIV in Fig. 2. v I

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the -manonreter taken along the lineV--V in Fig.2. j 1

' In'the several figures of the drawings, similar reference numeralsindicate like parts'. f m

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a'Venturi tubethat is adapted for insertion in a fluid transmitting line.

-The Ventu'ri tube 1 is characterized by having an intermediate section2', or throat portion, of reduced cross-sectional area. Above thesection 2, in the direction of fluid moveiment, the tube 1 broadens outinto a threaded portion 3 which is of the diameter of the connectingpipe. Below the section 2, the tube expands with a uniform taperedsurface 4 to a threaded portion 5 for connection to the associatedconnecting pipe. The wall of the tube 1 is pierced by an aperture 6 atthe mid-point of thesection 2, while a larger aperture 7 extendsthroughthe-wall of the tube 1 at a point above the section 2.

1 That portion of the .tube 1 through which the-apertures 6 and 7 extendis thickened into a flange 8 which is provided with a plurality of boltholes 9.

The manometer comprises a base member 11 which is in the form of ashallow receptacle, the end walls of which are provided with apertures12 for the reception of threaded plugs 13. A lug 14: extends upwardlyfrom the bottom of the base member 11 and is flush with the upturnededges thereof. The lug 14: is provided with a longitudinally extendingaperture 15 of the same diameter as the aperture 6 and that registerstherewith. A cover member or plate 16 is adapted to be fitted over-theupstanding edges of the base member 11 and is provided withapertures 17and 18,'the latter being of the same diameter as the aperture-15. Theplate .16 is provided with .a longitudinallyextending groove 19. A glassplate 22 is disposed over the groove 19 totherewith providea chamber 20.The plate 22 is held inposition by a cover member 21 having an openingtherein extending along the chamber 20. A suitable scale 23 may beprovided on the cover member 21 adjacent to the glass plate 22.

'The base member 11 is provided with a plurality of. extending flanges24 and 25 which co-operate, respectively, with the flange 8 on the tube1 and apertured 'portions26 and 27 on the cover member 21 for thereception of suitable bolts 28 to secure the manometer and the Venturitube in their assembledposition. "The several metallic portions of themanometer and Venturi tube are packed by suitable gaskets 29.

In Fig; 5, is shown a pair of terminals 31 V which may be connected toany external electrical circuit in order to operate an alarm. One of theterminals 31 is attached to the stationary contact member 32 whichextends through an opening in the base member 11 but is suitablyinsulated, as at 33, therefrom. The other terminal 34 is secureddirectly to the wall of the base member 11. The chamber defined by thebase member ll and the cover member or plate 16 is filled with suitablefluid 35, such as mercury, a portion of which flows through the aperture17 into the chamber 20.

The operation of my improved Venturi tube and manometer is as follows: Acolumn of fluid in passing through the Venturi tube 1 enters by theconnection 3 and departs by the connection 5 after having passed throughthe throat portion 2. It is a well known fact that the fluid above thethroat portion 2 is under a greater pressure than the portion at thatsection. Also, the velocity of the fluid above the section 2 is lessthan the velocity of the fluid at the section 2. The difference inpressure above and below the portion 2 is proportional tothe amount offluid traversing the Venturi tube 1.

This difference in pressure is transmitted to the manometer. A certainportion of the fluid from the Venturi tube traverses the aperture 7 andmoves into the chamber defined by the base member 11 and the plate 16.This fluid tends to displace the mercury 35 which moves upwardly in thechamber 19. However, another column of fluid moves from the portion 2through the passageway formed by the apertures 6, 15 and '18 into thechamber 20 and exerts a back pressure on the column of mercury. When asufficient amount of mercury has been forced into the chamber 20, toequalize the difference between the pressures in the aperture 7 and theaperture 6, the mercury column will come to rest.

When the height of the column of mercury in the chamber 20 is read onthe properly indicated scale 23, .a direct measure of the amount offluid traversing the Venturi tube 1 is given.

In order to magnify slight movements of the mercury in the chamberdefined by the base member 11 and the cover member 16, it has been foundadvisable to make the crosssectional area of the chamber 20 verymaterially smaller.

In the event that an electric alarm is desired to be given when thecolumn of mercury I in the main chamber has reached a predeterminedlevel, contact is made or broken, as the case may be, between thestationary contact member 32 and the contact member 34 embedded in themember 11.

It will thus be seen that. I have provided a combined Venturi tube andmanometer which are of substantially unitary structure when assembledand which. comprise a small number of parts,'each of said parts being ofsuitable design for manufacturing purposes.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific circuit connections orarrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereofmay be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. I desire, therefor, that only such limitations shall beimposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A unitary structure for indicating the flow of a fluid traversing apipe line including a Venturi tube for insertion in said pipe line, saidtube having high and low-pressure openings in a side wall thereof, amanometer for said Venturi tube having a wall provided with openingscorresponding to the openings in said Venturi-tube wall, and means forsecuring said walls in adjacent sealed relation, whereby saidcorresponding openings form individual passages between said tube andsaid manometer.

.2. A unitary structure for indicating the flow of a fluid traversing apipe line including a Venturi tube for insertion in said pipe line, saidtube having a plane side wall and high and low-pressure openings in saidwall, a manometer for said Venturi tube having a plane wall providedwith openings corre sponding to the openings in said Venturitube wall,and means for securing said walls in adjacent sealed relation, wherebysaid corresponding openings form individual passages between said tubeand said manometer.

3. A unitary structure for indicating the flow of a fluid traversing apipe line including a Venturi tube having high and low-pressure openingsin a side wall thereof, a manometer for said tube having a wall providedwith openings corresponding to the openings in'said Venturi tube wall,and means including a gasket between the walls for securing the walls inadjacent sealed relation, whereby said corresponding openings formindividual passages between said tube and said manometer. v

1. A unitary structure for indicating the flow of a fluid traversing apipe line including a Venturi tube having high and lowpressure openingsin a side wall thereof, a manometer for said tube having a wall providedwith openings corresponding to the openings in said Venturi tube wall,said walls having registering apertured extensions, and means includlngbolts cooperatlng between sald extensions for securing the Walls in adjacent sealed relation, whereby said corresponding openings formindividual passages between said tube and said manometer.

5. A unitary structure for indicating the flow of a fluid traversing apipe line including a Venturi tube having high and lowpressure openingsin a side wall thereof, a manometer for said tube having a wall providedwith openings corresponding to the openings in said Venturi tube wall,said

